Pokédex
The Pokédex is a digital encyclopedia created by Professor Oak as an invaluable tool to s in the Pokémon world. It gives information about all in the world that are contained in its database, although it differs in how it acquires and presents information over the different media. However, they are also only given to a few Trainers at a time, generally to the ones that are felt to have exceptional potential and skill. There are different types of Pokédexes and each Pokédex is special to a specific region. Pokédex entries typically describe a Pokémon in only two or three sentences. They may give background information on the habitat or activities of a Pokémon in the wild or other information on the Pokémon's history or anatomy. Pokédex entries also include height, weight, cry, footprint (prior to Generation VI), location, other forms, and a picture of the Pokémon. Functions The Pokédex is a handheld electronic encyclopedia device; one which is capable of recording and retaining information of the various Pokémon of the world. In order to accomplish Professor Oak's goal of a complete Pokémon database, the Pokédex is designed to find and record data on each Pokémon the Trainer meets. Pokémon are added to the Pokédex simply by encountering them in battle or, sometimes, by seeing a picture of the Pokémon. However, detailed entries are not recorded until the player catches the Pokémon, receives it as a prize/gift or acquires it in a trade. Entries The main feature of any Pokédex are the entries on each individual Pokémon, which provide details that would otherwise be unexplored in the games. Complete entries can only be seen for captured Pokémon, while uncaptured Pokémon only have limited information. Generation I In Generation I's Pokédex (model HANDY505), the entries are simple and each individual section can be accessed directly from the listing. The first, and main option—"Data"—includes an image of the Pokémon, its number, name, , height, weight, and a short blurb. The second option—"Cry"—does not open a new screen; selecting it simply plays the Pokémon's cry. The last option—"Area"—displays the map, along with flashing indicators at each location where the selected Pokémon can be found; in cases where the Pokémon is not available in the , is only available , or can only be found by fishing or in the Unknown Dungeon, the message "Area Unknown" will be displayed over the center of the map instead. allows players to print entries using the . Generation II Generation II's Pokédex (model HANDY808) retains the same elements as its predecessor, while adding the Pokémon's to the information and, like Yellow, allows players to print entries. Unlike Generation I, selecting a Pokémon displays the entry in a new screen from which the other sections can be selected. This became the norm for subsequent generations. In these games, entries that would normally display "Area Unknown" on the map simply display an unmarked map. Generation III Generation III's Pokédex did not add anything to the main entry; however, Cry was given its own page, which displays the sound wave as it played. In addition, the Area section was changed to highlight locations instead of just marking them and can now display the locations of Pokémon obtainable by fishing. A Size section was added, which displays silhouettes of the Pokémon and the player character side by side. In only, there is a Page button to switch between pages of multi-page Pokédex entries. 's Pokédex (model HANDY909) displays entries in a much different format from Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. It was the first Pokédex to actually display a Pokémon's type in its entry, as well as its menu sprite. However, the Cry visuals were removed. Entries for Kanto Pokémon were taken from Red/Green for FireRed and Red/Blue for LeafGreen. Johto Pokémon entries were taken from Silver for FireRed and Gold for LeafGreen. Additionally, in the international versions, it is the first Pokédex to show long Pokédex entries in full, instead of splitting them into two pages. This was carried over to later games, including Emerald. Generation IV Generation IV's Pokédex (model HANDY910) added numerous features, but of FireRed and LeafGreen's changes, it kept only type. Area now changes its highlight color depending on whether a Pokémon is found normally or exclusively using Honey, and the player can view the differences between morning, day and night, with the default being the current time. Cry's display returned, with a bar display in addition to the wave display, and the ability to modify the cry via Chorus/Pan, Reverb/Filter and Loop. Weight was added to the Size section, which puts the Pokémon and the player character on either side of a balance scale. A new Forms section allows players to see gender and form differences within species, but only for forms they have already seen. For a small list of Pokémon, if the player obtains a Pokémon from another country, they can of that Pokémon's entry after meeting Meister. In Platinum, this function was expanded to all Pokémon, although it still requires Meister to update the Pokédex. changed the formatting again, now displaying the list on the lower screen and the actual entry on the top screen. Cry's page was again removed. By selecting "view details", players can view Area, Size and Forms. Area no longer defaults to the current time or differentiated for Honey due to it no longer being a mechanic, Size now utilized both screens to display both Height and Weight at the same time, and Forms added a Compare option to see different forms side by side instead of having to scroll between them. Entries for Johto and Kanto Pokémon were taken from Gold for HeartGold and Silver for SoulSilver. Players can collect foreign Pokédex entries without the need to update their Pokédex. Also, while artwork shows a pink Pokédex for females, the in-game interface does not reflect this. Generation V The Generation V Pokédex is similar to the Pokédex from . It is displayed as a list on the right side of the lower screen with the selected Pokémon's sprite occupying the left side. Most of its functions are also similar to Generation IV's. Instead of showing the time of day that a Pokémon can be caught, as in Generation IV, the Pokédex shows the seasons in which it can be found. Areas in which the Pokémon can be found flash red, and touching an area will show the methods by which it can be caught (walking in tall grass, ing, or fishing). The height and weight comparison feature has been removed, but a section showing form differences and a search feature are added by Cedric Juniper when the player visits Mistralton City. The form difference section will now show Shiny Pokémon as well as form differences. The last sprite selected will become the one displayed in the main entry. The ability to collect foreign Pokédex entries now only applies to the first 493 Pokémon, but the player can now also collect Korean Pokédex entries. The cry page has been added again as well. In , after defeating Cheren for the first time, Bianca will upgrade the player's Pokédex with the , showing which Pokémon the player has already seen in the selected location, either normally, by finding in the water or via fishing rod (the latter two available later). If all Pokémon available in that place that are available via one of these three ways are seen (such as and for tall grass on ), the reference to the location in such way is marked with a Poké Ball-like stamp; after catching all Pokémon that are found via one of these three ways in current place, it gets marked with a colored Poké Ball-like stamp. In all four games, extra Pokédex skins can also be downloaded through the Pokémon Global Link. Generation VI The Generation VI Pokédex is card-shaped and has a holographic center that is visible when the two ends are separated. It is also separated into three categories: Central Kalos, Coastal Kalos, and Mountain Kalos, and each category has a different icon in the Pokédex menu. The Coastal Pokédex is represented by a blue stripe on the left side of a pentagon, the Central Pokédex is represented by a white stripe down the middle of a pentagon, and the Mountain Pokédex is represented by a red stripe on the right side of a pentagon. The symbol for the National Pokédex is a Poké Ball. If the player obtains a Pokémon that was created in Generation VI, the symbol in the Pokédex indicating it has been caught is a combination of the three Kalos Pokédex symbols: a pentagon with vertical blue, white, and red stripes. This resembles the , the region on which Kalos is based. If a Pokémon is transferred from a previous generation, the symbol will instead be a Poké Ball. The latter symbol can be updated to the former symbol if the player obtains a Pokémon of that species originating from Generation VI. If all Pokémon are obtained from Generation VI games, the Pokédex will be marked with a crown on the selection screen. In the National Pokédex, there are color codes used to represent Pokémon introduced in each generation: red for Generation I, yellow for , green for , blue for , pink for , and silver for . Like in Generation V, players may choose the default entry image for each Pokémon species, as long as they have seen that gender, coloration, or form of that species before. Like in previous games, acquiring Pokémon from foreign-language games will unlock the ability to view entries in those languages, so long as the player owns or has owned a Pokémon from that language. This time, all Pokémon entries can be obtained, allowing for both Generation V and VI entries for the first time. Generation VII The Generation VII Pokédex consists of a device specially-designed to be inhabited by a , an innovation that gives the Pokédex its own personality and is intended as a new way for humans and Pokémon to communicate. In addition to a standard Pokédex function, the Rotom Pokédex includes a detailed map that can point out nearby locations of interest, and remind the player of the next objective based on recent conversations with NPCs. The Rotom Pokédex is a rare model even in the Alola region where it was created. Like the Kalos Pokédex, the Alola Pokédex is divided into several categories, with a section for each of the four main islands of the region. Unlike the Kalos Pokédex, Pokémon in Alola can be found in more than one section of the Pokédex. In addition to the number of Pokémon seen and owned, it also displays the total percentage of Pokédex completion. The player can also scan QR codes to add Pokémon they haven't encountered yet to the Pokédex, allowing them to check the Pokémon's location in Alola. Search and order The original Pokédex had no search function. In Generation II, the ability to search for Pokémon by type was added, as well as the ability to sort by New Pokédex mode, Old Pokédex mode, A to Z mode and Unown Mode. In , the search function was expanded to allow searches by name and color. Players were also given the option to order Pokémon by Heaviest, Lightest, Tallest, or Smallest. Two modes were available, Hoenn and National. National mode was unlocked via a trade with Kanto or Orre, or, in , defeating the Elite Four. However, in , the search function was dropped altogether, instead choosing to expand the sort functions by adding lists of Pokémon by type and habitat. Heaviest and Tallest orders were also removed. National Mode was unlocked by having obtained 60 Pokémon in the Pokédex, beating the Elite Four and completing the Sevii Island's sidequest. Generation IV brought the Search function back, as well as Heaviest and Tallest orders. Habitat was dropped. Searches could now be conducted by Form, but not by Color. The two Pokédex modes were Sinnoh and National. National mode was unlocked by seeing every Pokémon in the Sinnoh Dex. added the ability to search by Height and Weight (instead of simply sorting by them), and also allowed search by Area (Johto, Kanto, or Unknown). National Mode was added by talking with Professor Oak in the S.S. Aqua port in Olivine City after defeating the Elite Four. In Generation V, the Pokédex for allows the player to search for Pokémon with the following criteria: Order (Number, A to Z, Heavy to Light, Light to Heavy, Tall to Short, and Short to Tall), Name (All letters of the alphabet), Type, Color, which was returned to the search after being dropped in Generation IV, and Form. Unlike in , the ability to search for Pokémon by area was dropped. By changing the Pokédex type, the player can search for Pokémon native to the Unova region or from other regions, but in order to search for other Pokémon, the player must have first been obtained the National Pokédex upgrade from Cedric Juniper after the defeat of Team Plasma /[[Iris]] . After obtaining the upgrade, the player can switch the Pokédex type from the National Pokédex to the Unova Pokédex at will by simply tapping " " in the lower portion of the touch screen or by pressing the SELECT button on the DS System. In , Professor Sycamore will evaluate all three regional Pokédexes according to seen Pokémon, and the National Pokédex according to caught Pokémon. In , the Rotom Pokédex itself will evaluate according to the number of Pokémon seen in each of the four islands as well as in Alola as a whole. Completion Completing the Pokédex is a common goal of Trainers and carries with it much esteem due to its difficulty, which has gradually escalated due to the fact that around 100 new Pokémon are introduced with each new generation. However, this is mitigated to a degree by new features added to the games, such as Wi-Fi and the Global Trade System in Generation IV, and a less restrictive trading system (between PC boxes instead of only active teams) in Generation V. The exclusion of event Pokémon as a requirement for completing the Pokédex also makes it possible for people with no access to event distributions to complete the Pokédex. The in-game rewards are usually a congratulations from the director's avatar and a , usually one for completing the regional Pokédex and one for the National Pokédex. In , the player could choose from one of the Johto starter Pokémon for completing the Hoenn Dex. The completion of the Pokédex also usually allows the player to upgrade his/her Trainer Card. Also, in , the diploma will appear on the shelf in the player's bedroom. In Generations I to III, the completion of the regional Pokédex is tracked by how many Pokémon the player has caught. However, in and , the regional Pokédex is tracked simply by how many Pokémon the player has seen. In , though, it again registers only Pokémon that have been caught. In Generation V, though Professor Juniper originally evaluates the player's regional Pokédex based on the Pokémon the player has seen, they may still only receive a diploma after having caught all regional Pokémon. Completion of the National Pokédex is always based only on the number of Pokémon caught. In , the system is revised to give the player more in-game recognition of their achievements. Once all the Pokémon in the Unova Pokédex have been seen, Professor Juniper presents the player a , allowing access to the Nature Preserve. Once the player has caught all of the Pokémon in the Unova Pokédex, Professor Juniper will give the player an which increases the chances of finding Pokémon Eggs at the Pokémon Day Care. When the player completes the National Pokédex, Professor Juniper gives the player a , which increases the chances of encountering and hatching Shiny Pokémon. In , Professor Sycamore will reward the player with an upon seeing all Pokémon in the Kalos Pokédex, except for , , , and . Upon completing the National Pokédex, the player will receive a from Sycamore. In , Professor Birch will reward the player with an upon seeing all Pokémon in the Hoenn Pokédex, except for . Should the player complete the National Pokédex, Birch will also reward the player with a . Also in , the diplomas given by the director can be displayed in the player's Secret Base and can be viewed in the same way when obtaining it from the director. Other players visiting the secret base cannot see the full image on the diplomas, but instead will view it as an "impressive certificate". Category:Pokédex